#16.593
Although it hasn't been posted on the Indiana BOAH website as of this writing, we have email confirmation from the state of their 3rd outbreak of HPAI H5 in poultry, striking Dubois County for the 3rd time.
CURRENT SITUATION
Avian influenza has been detected in an additional commercial poultry flock.
DUBOIS3: Laboratory testing of a commercial flock of turkeys in Dubois County has identified H5 avian influenza virus. This is considered a presumptive-positive case, and samples are being verified at the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Iowa. This is the fifth farm (known as Dubois3) in Indiana to be diagnosed with avian influenza. Pending test results should indicate if the virus is the same as the index farm diagnosed on Feb. 9 and if the virus is highly pathogenic. .
Depopulation efforts are underway on the premises, which houses 35,908 birds.
The location of Dubois3 is approximately 2.5 miles from the Dubois1 site; therefore, a fifth 10-km circle has been established in Dubois County. All commercial poultry within this new control area will be quarantined and tested regularly for the duration of this event (I.e., until the control area is lifted). About half of those farms are in the existing control area. (All 19 farms in this control area are already within a previously established control area.)
BOAH staff continue to reach out to known hobby/backyard poultry owners in the control areas to schedule testing of birds to ensure the virus is not present. To date, 32 hobby flocks have been sampled; laboratory testing determined them as negative. Hobby poultry owners in Southern Dubois County or Greene County should contact BOAH at 317-544-2387 to schedule testing at no charge.
So far the USDA has confirmed 5 states (Maine, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, and Virginia) as having reported HPAI H5 in poultry in the past couple of weeks. Additionally, 9 states (Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina & Virginia) have reported detections in wild birds.
Although HPAI H5N1 is now considered to be a zoonotic virus, it is believed to pose a low risk to public health (see CDC Statement: `Low Risk' To Public From HPAI H5 Avian Flu), and is primarily considered a threat to wild birds and poultry.
The last time HPAI H5 visited North America (2015), hundreds of farms were affected across 15 states and 2 provinces of Canada. More than 50 million birds were lost or destroyed, and the outbreak lasted from December well into June.
2015 Avian Flu Epizootic
So far, the number of poultry farms that have been affected remains low, but that will increase unless all poultry interests - large and small - immediately beef up their biosecurity against HPAI.
The USDA has some advice on how to Defend The Flock at the website below.
